Where are You Going, Baby Lincoln by Kate DiCamillo

Baby Lincoln is not really a baby.  She is an old woman who has spent her life living in the shadow of her bossy older sister, Eugenia.  One night Baby Lincoln has a dream that she takes a trip on a train and when she wakes up she decides to make the dream come true.  Although she rarely does things on her own, she bravely packs a bag, goes to the train station and buys a ticket.  Once on the train she meets three people who help her see herself in a new way, but as the trip comes to a close, Baby Lincoln wonders how--and if--she will ever get home.

This is my intermediate book of the week and the third installment of the Tales from Deckawoo Drive.  Like the second, Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Racoon, this one is about an adult on a journey of discovery.  It almost feels like this is a children's story that is really written for adults. Many adults will sympathize with Baby Lincoln's quiet struggle to define herself separately from her sister.  It could also be a good story to read to a child who is under the influence of a over-domineering friend.  Either way, the message is clear, but not overbearing and the story is sweet in a subdued kind of way.  (88p)